Introduction to Self-Guided Public Art Tour

We hope that you will enjoy this online tour of
Columbia's public art, and encourage you to take the
tour in person so that you can view each work in its
actual setting. As is always the case with the arts, a
reproduction, like this guide, cannot truly substitute
for the real thing. Whether on foot or in your car,
you are sure to see something that you wouldn't
otherwise.

Art enriches our surroundings. It
expands our everyday experiences. Publicly accessible
art is special in that it is available for all to enjoy.
When we park our cars, run errands or shop downtown,
public art is part of our surroundings. Through
abstract or historical representation, sculpture can tell a story, communicate a message, embody an ideal or convey a feeling. When grouped together, as
in this guide, Columbia’s many sculptures become an
outdoor museum accessible to everyone.

No special outing must be planned to
enjoy this museum -- it is open every day, has endless
hours and charges no admission fee. Each work of art in
this guide has its own connection to Columbia’s history
and is a part of our cultural legacy. The
works were initiated by a range of businesses,
individuals, organizations and agencies, each with a
different mission but all sharing the common view that art
enriches our city. By highlighting these important
cultural resources, we hope that citizens and
visitors alike will learn about our city and our
history, and that Columbia's public art will enrich their experience here.

A great effort was made to ensure the
accuracy of the information included in this guide. Used as a reference, it can enhance anyone's enjoyment of Columbia; however, it is not a comprehensive inventory. So, while taking the tour, watch for additional
discoveries. A hard-copy brochure
of this online guide can be obtained from the city's
Office of Cultural Affairs. Copies are also available at the
Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau and at Columbia City Hall.

Some information in the guide was
provided by Save Outdoor Sculpture! (SOS!), a program of
the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Heritage Preservation. To learn more about public sculpture, consult the public library or check out Heritage Preservation at www.heritagepreservation.org. You can also visit the Smithsonian's Inventory of American Sculpture for more information at www.siris.si.edu.

Hard copies of the Public Art Guide are located at the Office of Cultural Affairs and the Convention and Visitors Bureau (300 S. Providence Road), and at City Hall.